JAL woes; Drunken pilots

"Drunken pilots" sounds like the name of a rock band. But unfortunately it is a term that has appeared in Japan related news several times over the last year. The most recent news story was at the end of August, when once again JAL had to apologize for flight delays caused by a drunken pilot. That's at least the third time this year that they have had to apologize for flight delays due to pilots that don't pass a pre flight alcohol test. This time, they got a reprimand from the transport ministry.

Thing is, its not just 2025. JAL pilots are becoming quite notorious for exceeding the alcohol limit before a flight. Does anyone else remember the JAL pilot that got arrested in the UK in 2018 for being ten times over the legal alcohol limit? The pilot subsequently admitted that he drank two bottles of wine and a pitcher of beer the night before the flight.

In Japan, the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers (of cars) is set at 0.03%, which is much lower than many other countries. Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to significant legal consequences. So most people are very good at respecting the laws. So I find it so surprising that there have been so many incidences of drunken pilots in Japan.